Bronze girl statue faces off with Wall Street Bull on International Women’s Day
A camera man films a statue of a girl facing the Wall St. Bull, as part of a campaign by U.S. fund manager State Street to push companies to put women on their boards, in the financial district in New York. Photo by Brendan McDermid/Reuters
On the evening before International Women’s Day, the famed Wall Street Bull found something standing in its way: A bronzed little girl, hands on hips and feet set apart, staring down gender inequality.
McCann New York advertising agency erected the statue for its client State Street Global Advisors in order to highlight the finance industry’s gender inclusivity, lack of equal pay for women and issues with diversity.
“Today, we are calling on companies to take concrete steps to increase gender diversity on their boards, and have issued clear guidance to help them begin to take action,” State Street Global Advisors CEO Ron O’Hanley said in a statement.
A woman poses next to a statue of a girl facing the Wall St. Bull, as part of a campaign by U.S. fund manager State Street to push companies to put women on their boards, in the financial district in New York. Photo by Brendan McDermid/Reuters
A statue of a girl facing the Wall St. Bull is seen, as part of a campaign by U.S. fund manager State Street to push companies to put women on their boards, in the financial district in New York. Photo by Brendan McDermid/Reuters
State Street is a money management company with nearly $2.5 trillion in investments, the Washington Post reported. The bronze statue is also a representation of State Street wants the statue to represent their call to action for 3,500 companies and their shareholders to increase the amount of women in leadership positions and on corporate boards.
“We want to use our power as an active steward of financial interests to really create change,” Anne McNally, head of public relations for State Street, told the NewsHour. She added the bronze girl “really is that reminder to corporations across the globe.”
The bronze girl statue, created by artist Kristen Visbal, showed up suddenly much the same way artist Arturo Di Modica’s bronze bull was erected overnight in front of the New York Stock Exchange in 1989. It was later made a permanent installation in the financial district.
People look at a statue of a girl facing the Wall St. Bull, as part of a campaign by U.S. fund manager State Street to push companies to put women on their boards, in the financial district in New York. Photo by Brendan McDermid/Reuters
State Street Corp worked with the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation to keep the statue for a week, but McNally is negotiating for least a month if not a permanent residence for the bronze girl.
“We would absolutely be open to it being a permanent installation to that work of art,” McNally said. “We feel very strongly that she is a partner to the bull. She’s daring and confident and symbolizes the can-do spirit of women taking charge today and inspires the next generation of leaders.”
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